Get warm by walking across the Shire

GET walking this winter is the message the Golden Plains Shire and YMCA Geelong are sending residents.

The YMCA and the municipality’s health and wellbeing and recreation teams have joined forces for the Golden Plains Shire Winter Walk challenge.

Aimed to get the community moving, the initiative encourages residents to walk, ride, scoot or skate distances that equate with points within the Shire.

The program has set goals that correspond to the distance between some of the Shire’s towns including the 80 kilometres between Bannockburn and Smythesdale, 40 kilometres between Meredith and Rokewood, the 20 kilometres between Dereel to Cape Clear.

Mayor Cr Owen Sharkey said residents should have a go and make sure they stay physically active over winter.

“The Winter Walk Challenge is an excellent initiative to encourage residents to keep up their physical activity during winter,” he said.

Running for eight weeks until 26 August, participants can work towards their challenge goals in their own time in the comfort of their homes or around their towns.

Cr Sharkey said he hoped to see plenty of residents joining in and taking on the challenge alongside him.

“In the colder months, it’s often harder to find the motivation to get the runners on and head outside so making exercise more fun and adding competition is a great way to give you that extra bit of motivation,” he said.

To sign-up and track your goals, download the Strava app and search for Winter Walk Challenge or visit goldenplains.vic.gov.au and follow the links.